2022 Waiting on Lambs Journal

[farmerjan]

Nice hay feeders for the sheep.

 

[secuono]

Never seen a hay bale chock block. Might be handy but most places where we feed round bales we use feeders or roll it out. . One suggestion I have is to take the plastic wrap off the bale before you put it in the feeder... If they get their heads caught in it you could lose a sheep. Had a calf get his head caught in some of the plastic wrap and he almost died before we got him out. Also, they can eat it, although cows would be more likely to eat it than sheep I am sure... but it can get caught up in their stomachs/rumens and cause an impaction. And if nothing happens, next year when you go to bush hog where a round bale was,,,, there is NOTHING WORSE that getting that plastic all wound up around the shaft for the blade(s) on the bush hog..... I have spent my share of time underneath cutting it off with a knife....

Yeah, I cut the net off once I was done getting the "roof" on it & took a few cute sheepy pics.

I used some rocks, but it'd be nice to have something that won't break my toes if I accidentally drop it...

 

[wolf]

Do they make hay bale chock blocks?
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Kakuna's girl, Kauri, looking good.
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Made mine outta cattle panels. Got tired of sheep hopping on top a bale that’s unrestrained and mashing it with manure and urine all over. I have metal lings squashed to join one short and one long side, and clips to fasten the opposing corners. That way I can “shrink” the cage as the bale gets eaten away.

 

[wolf]

Yeah, I cut the net off once I was done getting the "roof" on it & took a few cute sheepy pics.

I used some rocks, but it'd be nice to have something that won't break my toes if I accidentally drop it...

I wear hard-toe shoes out there - just cause a ram who doesn’t wanna follow, likes to step on my feet when I pull him along. Comes in handy when I drop something heavy while working out there, too.

 

[secuono]

Made mine outta cattle panels. Got tired of sheep hopping on top a bale that’s unrestrained and mashing it with manure and urine all over. I have metal lings squashed to join one short and one long side, and clips to fasten the opposing corners. That way I can “shrink” the cage as the bale gets eaten away.

I tried that. They pull the hay out and end up with a ton on the ground.

 

[secuono]

Ross' codon results came in, QR.

They ate what they "could", so I rolled it over. They then claimed they didn't want any, so I tossed them back out as soon as enough snow melted.
But now its for the minis to eat. Certainly cannot move it back to the barn w/o it wrapped...
Yes, it wants to roll *up* the hill to the left. So, there's that magical weirdness happening.
Its on the rock/concrete spot, so no mud around it. Didn't realize how much I love that. Will need to buy huge rubber mats for the future!

 

[secuono]

Apostle is dead.
The vet keeps not showing up when scheduled. The adults are too heavy for me to lift alone. It looks like building a small holding pen plus loading ramp with side walls to block all exits, is next on my list of things to build. Then I can back van to it and chase them up into it and call it a day. Have a ramp I can use for this, panels and posts to make the pen, too. Would need to measure things for the side walls and areas to block the van exits. Of course, all this snow and wet means I couldn't use it right now anyway...
The ewes have demolished the hay feeder.
I hate winter.

 

[Alaskan]

Apostle is dead.
The vet keeps not showing up when scheduled. The adults are too heavy for me to lift alone. It looks like building a small holding pen plus loading ramp with side walls to block all exits, is next on my list of things to build. Then I can back van to it and chase them up into it and call it a day. Have a ramp I can use for this, panels and posts to make the pen, too. Would need to measure things for the side walls and areas to block the van exits. Of course, all this snow and wet means I couldn't use it right now anyway...
The ewes have demolished the hay feeder.
I hate winter.

Sorry for your loss. I missed whatever went wrong with Apostle.


Hay feeders tend to need a bunch of work until you get the one that works well for your animals and setup. Try a different kind each time they bust one.... hopefully you will figure out what works at your place sooner rather than later.

And yes on the sorting pens! A set of sorting pens that end in a squeeze chute, and have an option to go up a ramp to get loaded ... are golden!

You can even train them to walk happily through the pens and chute if you reward them with feed at the end.

 

[secuono]

Sorry for your loss. I missed whatever went wrong with Apostle.


Hay feeders tend to need a bunch of work until you get the one that works well for your animals and setup. Try a different kind each time they bust one.... hopefully you will figure out what works at your place sooner rather than later.

And yes on the sorting pens! A set of sorting pens that end in a squeeze chute, and have an option to go up a ramp to get loaded ... are golden!

You can even train them to walk happily through the pens and chute if you reward them with feed at the end.

He was an inbred disaster. Stiffer than a board and apparently prone to getting cast/stuck on the ground and unable to get up.

 

[secuono]

Billy & Eevee have left to Pennsylvania!



I let the ladies out and as soon as I got back into the house, they were begging to come back in...
They also don't wanna eat the hay, but don't want to hunt for grass...




Let us back in!!